Planning for winter colour in your garden.
Now is the time to start thinking about how to add colour to your garden in winter. Colourful foliage plants can make any garden come alive in the colder months. Here are some of the latest arrivals which you could ask for from your local nursery.
Obsession Nandina
The Obsession Nandina is a new breakthrough variety that produces red foliage year around! Obsession is a sport of Nandina domestica ‘Gulf Stream’ but unlike it's Mom, it has bright red colored young foliage produced while the plant is actively growing during the warm season. The cultivar name 'SEIKA' means "sacred fire" in Japanese and was given as the name because of the color of the new growth. Mature foliage is deep green in color. An upright, compact, dense grower that will tolerate sun or shade but I've found it produces better color with more sun. Like 'Gulf Stream', Obsession is a dwarf Nandina and remains small at 24-30" tall with a 20-24" spread. Useful in the landscape planted as a specimen or in small clusters or large mass plantings. Can also be useful to accentuate entryways, and I've used it to hide air conditioning units and utility boxes or in foundation plantings. Hardy in Zones 7 to 10.
The Obsession Nandina is a new breakthrough variety that produces red foliage year around! Obsession is a sport of Nandina domestica ‘Gulf Stream’ but unlike it's Mom, it has bright red colored young foliage produced while the plant is actively growing during the warm season. The cultivar name 'SEIKA' means "sacred fire" in Japanese and was given as the name because of the color of the new growth. Mature foliage is deep green in color. An upright, compact, dense grower that will tolerate sun or shade but I've found it produces better color with more sun. Like 'Gulf Stream', Obsession is a dwarf Nandina and remains small at 24-30" tall with a 20-24" spread. Useful in the landscape planted as a specimen or in small clusters or large mass plantings. Can also be useful to accentuate entryways, and I've used it to hide air conditioning units and utility boxes or in foundation plantings. Hardy in Zones 7 to 10.
Purple Diamond Loropetalum
Looking for a Loropetalum that holds it's deep purple foliage all year? If you like Loropetalum, but don’t like the large growth habit or the seasonal green foliage you get with other varieties, this cultivar is for you. The leaves of Purple Diamond Loropetalum are purple year round on both the front and back side of the leaf. Mature height is 4 to 5 feet height with an equal spread. As with most other Loropetalum, Purple Diamond prefers well-drained soils and full sun to part shade. It is a very low maintenance plant that produces an abundance of attractive, hot pink spider like flowers in the spring. Because it flowers on new growth, any time you give Purple Diamond a shearing or pruning during the active growing season it will produce a light flush of flowers. Purple Diamond is an excellent selection for foundation plantings and is also useful as a specimen, as a formal or informal hedge that responds well to shearing, to accentuate an entryway, or in shrub borders. I have it growing in both sun and shade. In sun, the foliage is deeper in color and the plant more dense.
Looking for a Loropetalum that holds it's deep purple foliage all year? If you like Loropetalum, but don’t like the large growth habit or the seasonal green foliage you get with other varieties, this cultivar is for you. The leaves of Purple Diamond Loropetalum are purple year round on both the front and back side of the leaf. Mature height is 4 to 5 feet height with an equal spread. As with most other Loropetalum, Purple Diamond prefers well-drained soils and full sun to part shade. It is a very low maintenance plant that produces an abundance of attractive, hot pink spider like flowers in the spring. Because it flowers on new growth, any time you give Purple Diamond a shearing or pruning during the active growing season it will produce a light flush of flowers. Purple Diamond is an excellent selection for foundation plantings and is also useful as a specimen, as a formal or informal hedge that responds well to shearing, to accentuate an entryway, or in shrub borders. I have it growing in both sun and shade. In sun, the foliage is deeper in color and the plant more dense.
Kaleidoscope Abelia
For sure, Kaleidoscope Abelia was properly named. True to its name, this new Abelia produces a myriad of colors throughout the year. During the warmer months of spring and summer the leaves are variegated vivid yellow with dark green centre splotches, the shrub appearing as solid yellow from a distance. As the temperatures start to cool the foliage of Kaleidoscope starts to become tinged with orange. As winter comes the foliage turns to a deeper orange-red with deep burgundy to maroon centres and holds this colour until new golden growth begins to emerge in spring.
For sure, Kaleidoscope Abelia was properly named. True to its name, this new Abelia produces a myriad of colors throughout the year. During the warmer months of spring and summer the leaves are variegated vivid yellow with dark green centre splotches, the shrub appearing as solid yellow from a distance. As the temperatures start to cool the foliage of Kaleidoscope starts to become tinged with orange. As winter comes the foliage turns to a deeper orange-red with deep burgundy to maroon centres and holds this colour until new golden growth begins to emerge in spring.
Flirt™ Dwarf Nandina
Flirt™ Dwarf Nandina is a true dwarf nandina that produces wine-red to red foliage year round! The foliage goes almost completely red in winter. Flirt Nandina is a very drought, cold, heat and humidity tolerant plant that can be planted in sunny or shady sites, though the red colour will be more intense with more sun.
Flirt™ Dwarf Nandina is a true dwarf nandina that produces wine-red to red foliage year round! The foliage goes almost completely red in winter. Flirt Nandina is a very drought, cold, heat and humidity tolerant plant that can be planted in sunny or shady sites, though the red colour will be more intense with more sun.
Purple Pixie Dwarf Loropetalum.
Purple Pixie Dwarf Loropetalum is dwarf in size but huge in performance. This true dwarf, maturing at 18 to 24 inches in height with a 3 to 4 foot spread, sports deep burgundy-purple foliage throughout the year that does not fade during summer as other loropetalums do. Showy, spider-like pink flowers are produced in abundance during spring and contrast wonderfully with the foliage. In addition to it's attractive color and habit, Purple Pixie is a very versatile plant handy as groundcover, borders and even in hanging baskets and containers. Purple Pixie has performed best for me in well-drained soil.
Purple Pixie Dwarf Loropetalum is dwarf in size but huge in performance. This true dwarf, maturing at 18 to 24 inches in height with a 3 to 4 foot spread, sports deep burgundy-purple foliage throughout the year that does not fade during summer as other loropetalums do. Showy, spider-like pink flowers are produced in abundance during spring and contrast wonderfully with the foliage. In addition to it's attractive color and habit, Purple Pixie is a very versatile plant handy as groundcover, borders and even in hanging baskets and containers. Purple Pixie has performed best for me in well-drained soil.
Heather.
Winter-flowering heather is a brilliant plant for low-growing texture. It also looks fantastic in pots. It comes with pink, white and purple flowers.
Winter-flowering heather is a brilliant plant for low-growing texture. It also looks fantastic in pots. It comes with pink, white and purple flowers.
Japanese Quince.
Also known as chaenomeles, this is a hardy woody shrub with thorny branches that bears cup-shaped flowers in winter and early spring.
Also known as chaenomeles, this is a hardy woody shrub with thorny branches that bears cup-shaped flowers in winter and early spring.
Winter Aconites.
These have lovely yellow flowers and are suited to growing underneath deciduous trees and shrubs. They prefer rich, moist soil.
These have lovely yellow flowers and are suited to growing underneath deciduous trees and shrubs. They prefer rich, moist soil.
Viburnum.
There are a huge range of viburnum plants for winter colour. Look out for evergreen varieties like V. tinus and V. burkwoodii. Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Dawn’ is also brilliant with strongly scented pink flowers.
There are a huge range of viburnum plants for winter colour. Look out for evergreen varieties like V. tinus and V. burkwoodii. Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Dawn’ is also brilliant with strongly scented pink flowers.
Daphne.
This shrub has intensely fragrant flowers in winter and early spring. Look for D. odora and D. bholua and grow near gates and doorways.
This shrub has intensely fragrant flowers in winter and early spring. Look for D. odora and D. bholua and grow near gates and doorways.
